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Friday, June 10, 2011

Captain America: The First Movie Poster

Captain America: The First Avenger. 2011.

Gouache and acrylic on illustration board, 16 × 24″.

I'm taking a break from my blog break today to finally reveal my secret project from the beginning of the year! Late last year, I had asked Marvel if they would consider a painted approach for any of their upcoming movies. To prove I was up to the task, I did a Captain America poster "on spec" (which was later used as the cover to a movie tie-in comic). As it turned out, the job was already taken, but they liked my work well enough to commission a "vintage" poster that would be given as a gift to the entire cast and crew.

The prints, limited to 100 or so, were reproduced at actual size. Even Stan Lee got one! I was given access to a vast collection of production stills—each emblazoned with a watermark pattern of my name—from which I selected my favorites. All of the lettering is hand-drawn, with the exception of the small credits at the top and bottom (I ran out of steam). While I did some post-production work in Photoshop, the original looks more or less like what you see here. You'll have to wait until I finish Daredevil #3 before I share some of the behind-the-scenes material, but the "Hitler getting punched" reference will be well worth the wait.

I couldn't be more excited to finally share this with everyone and I can't wait to see the movie, which comes out next month. And before I get back to drawing Daredevil, I'd also like to thank Stephen Broussard, Kevin Feige, Joe Quesada, and Tom Glinkowski for giving me the opportunity and facilitating the entire process. This was the first time I pursued a project at Marvel of my own volition (as opposed to being offered one) and I was very happy with the results. Makes me want to try out a new other ideas... but that will have to wait for now.

Great and amazing poster and wow I wish it were used as one of the official promo posters! Of course in a way it is now in a virtual sense seeing it is now all over the web!;) You really capture that feeling I hope this movie also has. Your work is just fantastic man keep it going!!!

OUTRAGEOUS! This is great! I've been hearing a lot lately about movies posters all looking the same and lacking artistic flare. This is a perfect example of what people miss. Great work and technique! The figures, lettering and colors are tremendous! Thanks for sharing!!!

Why is this not hanging in every movie theater in America right now? This is the most awesome thing I've ever seen. I can't believe Marvel would NOT want to use this. It totally fits the theme of the film.

Outstanding work, sir! Should I ever have stupid amounts of disposable income, I would insist upon commissioning a portrait.

This definitely gets my vote for A) This SHOULD be an official poster (or like the Brothers Hildebrandt STAR WARS poster, an unofficial official poster for promotion to the public), and B) I hope this does become available to fans. If the movie is half as good as this, it gets my entertainment dollar. As a designer and art director, I know this would win "in competition" as well.

This is amazing Paolo! You really do have your artwork and craft mastered. I like the feel of the poster. I think having a vintage feel is really part of its charm. Given that it’s limited, the production company must really include your artwork in their archives, even just for posterity’s sake. Great job!Ruby Badcoe

This is a great vintage art. Vintage posters are beautiful to look at, but being able to create them is something special. It’s good to recognize that laziness and neglect lead to ruin, but not all ruin is a result of laziness or neglect.

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Welcome to The Self-Absorbing Man, a personal blog featuring my artwork and creative process. I post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (if not more). Your comments and questions are welcome on any post, old or new, and I hope you'll become a regular reader. Thanks for visiting.